Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, more commonly known as “Mahatma Gandhi,” was born on October 2, 1869, in Porbandar, India. He studied law and became a defender of Indian rights both in India and South Africa, where he lived and worked for some 20 years. His method of opposing British rule and treatment was through mass non-violent civil disobedience, which has made him a model for peaceful revolution around the world.

Gandhi believed in living a simple life. He wove and made his own clothes, was a vegetarian and used traditional Indian fasts both for self-purification and protests against British discriminatory legislation against Indians. His philosophy of life and political “action” remain a beacon of hope for oppressed people around the world.